A Pair Of Ramen Bowls
by Fyras14
Summary: In which Sakura never meets Ino nor the rest of the Rookies. In which she quits being a ninja and never finds love at the hands of an Uchiha. In which the story completely changes from what all know. Naruto AU. Possible NaruSaku.
1. Chapter 1

Fyras14: Hello everyone that manages to click on this sotry and read it...well, I had this idea while I was waiting for my art teacher back at school(he never came), and well, I suddenly thought on how Naruto would change much if Sakura decided not to be a ninja anymore. What if she never met Naruto, nor fell in love with Sasuke, neither did she go to the Chunnin Exams and all that stuff that comes after...I'm not so sure if I should make her a ninja in the late future, but I will put a poll on my profile right after I put this story up...it would help, believe me.

Anyway, nwo that that is out of the way, please read and review or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.

Naruto and Co. don't belong to me, and if they did, Sakura would kick ass adn Naruto would be her lover.

Please, enjoy!

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Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment._

**-Unknown**

**-Prologue-**

**-The First Twelve Bowls-**

Ten bowls of ramen empty, with another one coming in, and still Sakura Haruno wondered how this blonde boy could stuff all of this noodles and soup—quite cheerfully, she might add—and yet manage to still keep on wanting more.

"Another bowl, old man!" the youth cried, grinning as he slammed his fist, not too hard, on the table. His eleventh bowl gone, replaced by another; his twelfth bowl in over an hour, as the pink haired girl notice.

"Are you sure that's healthy?" she asked suddenly, watching the blonde from the corner of her eyes, as she moved to clean a nearby table with a small cloth. The blonde boy only blinked, and then, turn to watch the pink haired girl as she expertly handled four unfinished ramen bowls on her hands, and yet, still manage to finish cleaning the table without letting go of the bowls. He stood there watching her, a group of half-eaten noodles dangling from his closed mouth. He watched her every move, before finally responding with a childish glare upon his face,

"Ramen's good," he defended, slurping the noodles full, not bothering to hide the noise he was making as if challenging her.

Sakura didn't answer the blonde, as she quickly moved towards another table, cleaning it out of ramen bowls, and any other food and drink that was left behind. The blonde boy was still there, challenging her, but, realizing that the pink haired girl wasn't going to go talking again, he decided to finish his twelfth bowl, only to hear the girl respond,

"I wasn't talking about the ramen, actually," Sakura told him, taking a closer step towards the blonde boy, as she prepared to clean the table that he was using to eat.

"Oh, so…" The blonde boy placed his bowl of ramen, half-finished, on the bar counter, as Sakura passed the piece of cloth on the edge of the counter, before continuing. "what were you talking about?"

"You eat too much…"

"Huh?"

"You'll get sick…eating too much…of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't eat what you like…but…you'll just get sick." Then, the boy grinned, a genuine smile, something that Sakura had not seen for a while since she had begun to work on Ichiraku Ramen just a month ago. Since then, the pink haired only saw civilians or other ninjas, and even then, she had not gotten a sincere smile just for caring.

This blonde boy, this Uzumaki kid as he was called, he was a strange one. He would always seat in the bar counter, close to the kitchen and to Teuchi, ordering like ramen like there was no tomorrow. What Sakura would notice, too, would be the glares that many others would sent his way, for no reason at all. She would hear the regulars and some civilians muttering about that 'demon child' and all sort of talk Sakura could hardly believed described the hyperactive noodle-eating machine that grinned back to her. "What?" she asked, forgetting the cloth on the corner of the bar counter, as she moved to grab the forgotten, half-finished ramen bowls, and put them on top of said counter.

"You shouldn't worry about me!" he cried, pumping a fist playfully in the air, eyes closed with a foxy grin decorating his features. "Ramen won't kill me!!"

"But eating a lot might…and then, you wouldn't be able to eat any ramen…" Sakura couldn't help but stifle a giggle as the Uzumaki boy flashed a look of horror in his face. It wasn't long before another woman joined Sakura nearby the counter, patting the pink haired girl's shoulder.

"Now, now, Sakura-san, you don't wanna jinx good-old Naruto," the young woman, Ayame, told her, smiling brightly back at blonde boy, whose grin had returned, and apparently, so had his appetite. He wolfed the last bits of ramen down his throat.

"Ah! Another good bowl!! Can I have another o--"

"You're going to get sick, Naruto," came Sakura's response, as she shook her head at him. "What about you leave the bowl for another day?"

"But…but!"

"If you do…" Sakura went on, smiling as she removed the bowl from the counter and placed it on the top of the rack of plates she herself had made on the way as she had cleaned the tables nearby. "I'll pay your first three bowls, but only if…that," she pointed at the bowl on the top of the rack, " is your last bowl for the day." By then, old man Teuchi had taken his place on the front of the counter, and was eyeing the two youngsters with curiosity. Ayame only smiled wider as Naruto seemed to consider the pink haired girl's decision. It didn't take long for the blonde boy to process that he would be getting free food, if he stopped eating for the day. Seemed like a good deal, but oh! that hot bowl of ramen was waiting for him back there! He just couldn't abandon it! But, free ramen…free ramen…three free cups he wouldn't have to pay with what little money he received a month. On the other hand…only three?

Naruto turned back to face Sakura, grinning, with a plan on the works within his mind. "Make it six bowls and you have a deal!" The pink haired girl scowled. That she wasn't expecting.

"No. Only three."

"Five?"

"Three."

"Four, then?" She held up three fingers in front of his face, instead. "Why not four?"

"Because…"

"Why?" The boy was pouting, in a cute-sort of way, Sakura noticed, as he asked again.

"You are abusing my nice act to keep you healthy." Naruto only grinned, and patted his chest.

"You don't need to worry! I'm gonna be a ninja! Worries should be left only to me!!" At the words 'ninja', Sakura's stare soften, and then, she looked away, hiding her face from the three that were watching her, unaware of the growing turmoil within her. It took her a while to respond, and Naruto began to worry. "Hey…are you…" But she caught him up, turning back to face him with a sneaky glance.

"Have it your way, then." At that, Naruto grinned, and cried,

"Alright! Four bowls tomorrow, for fr--"

"Hey, I told you I was paying for three, not four." Sakura interrupted him, taking off her apron and setting it on a nearby table, as she winked his way. Naruto managed a blush, as she waved her hand back at Ayame and Teuchi. "See you tomorrow!"

"Good-bye!" Both the old man and his daughter cry out, as the young girl leaves the bar.

Sakura cannot hear what Naruto says to the two of them as she leaves the ramen bar, because right then she is thinking about ninjas, and how, once upon a time, she wanted to be one.


	2. Chapter 2

Fyras14: Thanks to all that have reviewed this story...it makes me feel proud of it...well, this chapter will answer a few things concerning the prologue...they answers may not be straihgt out, but you will figure out why Sakura gets uncomfortbale at the mention of ninja in this chapter...

Anyway, here you all go...sorry for its shortness, but I wanted to dedicate another chapter for the part with Mizuki, and yes, Sakura will be there, too...but, for now, we are back to the ramen business once more. Haha...anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Please read and review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly, deleted.

**Naruto and Co. dont belong to me...or who-knows how the plot would be moving about right now...**

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Most people are prisoners, thinking only about the future or living in the past. They are not in the present, and the present is where everything begins._

**-Carlos Santana**

**-Chapter One-**

**-Free Bowls-**

"Ramen!? That's all you eat every day?"

"Yep! It's so good, Sakura-chan!! All I need is ramen, ramen! Ramen!!"

It was back to the ramen, again. Naruto was merrily telling Sakura about his love for such…appetizing dish, that she didn't know what to think of the poor boy. For her part, Sakura still thought that ramen wasn't good to Naruto—also ignoring the fact that she worked in a place that sold that oh-so-delicious dish.

At least the boy liked his ramen, Sakura couldn't deny, watching as he finished the soup with such gusto, she ignored the slurping sounds he made despite them being rude. The blonde boy gave a satisfied 'Ah!', discarding the now, empty bowl aside, and going after the third, and last free bowl Sakura had offered him. As he began to take on the warm bowl of ramen, Sakura ventured to ask, "Do you even eat vegetables, Naruto?" Naruto finished slurping a trio of noodles, before responding with a nod of the head.

"Ramen has vegetables, too, Sakura-chan!" he protested, loud enough for few of the patrons nearby to hear. A look of dislike was their answer, as Naruto continued to wolf down the contents of the ramen bowl.

"How many…like," she counted two with her fingers. "two each bowl?" The blonde boy stopped eating, and seemed to think about what she had just said, before he cried out,

"Ninjas don't need vegetables!" As those words left Naruto's mouth, the pink haired girl's eyes widen, before she looked away, staring at her own ramen bowl that had remained untouched since she had begun her conversation with Naruto. It didn't take long for the blonde boy to notice the young girl's change, and he was quick to turn his attention away from ramen. "Hey, something wrong?" His answer was a calm shake of a head, before Sakura turned to face him, smiling sadly.

"Nothing…"

"You sure?" Sakura had to suppress a sigh, knowing full well that the blonde boy hadn't taken her 'nothing' as nothing, but something else serious entirely, managing to separate the boy from his precious ramen.

"Yes…it's…it's just nothing…I just…yeah…I just remembered," she got up from the stool she was sitting and fished her apron from where it lay on an empty table behind her. "my half-hour break is almost over,"

"But you haven't even touched your ramen!" Naruto protested, pointing an accusing finger at the evidence that stood before the pink haired girl, still warm and untouched. Sakura seemed to consider the undisturbed bowl before shrugging and looking back at Naruto.

"Well…since my half-hour break is over…and since I don't have time to eat…how about you eat the bowl instead, Naruto?"

"But, you said that eating a lot of ramen isn't healthy…"

"And you are going to listen to me?" she asked him, grinning. "Just eat it, Naruto…Teuchi-san wouldn't like the ramen left over…and besides I really need to get to work." Naruto seemed to take a moment to consider this, and after a couple of seconds, nodded happily.

"Alright! Thanks for the fourth free bowl, Sakura-chan!"

"Fourth already? Wow, you are fast…" Sakura smiled at Naruto, before she moved towards the other side of the counter to enter the kitchen behind it.

Still, it was fifteen minutes before the hour was up, but by then Sakura was gone, and Naruto was busy savoring his fourth free ramen bowl.

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Sakura never knew that delivering a bowl of the "Super Special Recipe" to Naruto from old man Teuchi would be so hard. For starters, she really didn't want to deliver anything to the Ninja Academy, even if it was just food. It wasn't like she didn't want to see Naruto or anything like that, in fact, she had become quite close to the blonde in the few months they had known each other, and Sakura sincerely couldn't wait to see that smiling face decorating his features, holding out his ninja headband and crying out, "I'm a ninja! BELIEVE IT!!" Yes, she did want to see Naruto graduate, and yes, she did want to deliver the special ramen bowl to the boy. So, why was little Sakura-chan taking her sweet time, of about half an hour, to reach the Kohona Ninja Academy?

"I should really stop doing this…" Sakura murmured, as she gave another sigh and moved through the crowd less street heading towards the academy, whose roof she was beginning to show through the larger buildings within the village. "It was in the past…" she told herself, as she slowly moved through the street, before finally, after another couple of minutes, standing right in front of the great ninja academy of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and that, is when the voices began to haunt her;

"_Hey, hey! It's that forehead girl!" _

"_Aah! She's a little sensitive! Too bad that won't stop her forehead from growing any bigger!!" _

"_Look, it's two size bigger today!" _

"_F-O-R-E-H-E-A-D! FOREHEAD GIRL!!" _

"_Haha!!"_

"_Hehehe!"…_

Slapping her forehead, Sakura gave a low growl and muttered, "That was four years ago…it's all in the past now, Sakura…" she told herself, as she made her way towards the academy, and soon enough, she spotted many new ninja crying out in excitement, or just looking bored.

Parents polluted the area like flies, all crying out along with their children, or giving pats on their shoulders, with a small smile, congratulating them quietly, despite the ruckus around them. Some where even showing moves to their own children, amazing the new ninja with their majestic skills, until they realized that it wouldn't be a good idea to punctured some else's body. Sakura suddenly grew pale, as some of the new ninja set their gazes on her, as if remembering. She gave a sigh of relief when the ninja soon ignored her for the attention of their parents, but then, something else caught her attention.

"It's a good thing that boy didn't pass…" It was a woman, she was hidden well within the crowd, chatting with another woman as both looked at a nearby tree overlooking the crowd of happy children. The other woman nodded in approval as she sent a venomous look to said tree, which Sakura noticed held a swing, and upon the swing lay a young—Naruto?

"Yes…who knows how we would fare at the hands of that de--" The woman was soon interrupted by the first, hushing her before she said anything else and looking around the crowd to see if anyone had heard what the second woman was about to say.

"Are you mad!? What if the ANBU hear you!?" The second woman gave no reply, and both decided to hide back into the crowd of parents and ninjas, catching Sakura staring at them. They both offered indifferent looks her way, and then, disappeared.

_What was all that about? _the pink haired girl thought, making her way towards where Naruto and the swing where.

Sakura knew, since a young age, that she was amazing at memorizing things. She read at least two books a day in her spare time, memorizing their context without too much trouble, she could dictate whatever she read just two months after reading it. From books, Sakura learned many things, from medicine to psychology, but she didn't need to be smart to know that Naruto Uzumaki, the most cheerful, knucklehead, ramen-loving boy she had ever known, was upset, and not just upset, but downright melancholic.

…he didn't pass…he didn't become a ninja…and worst of all was that those two women had felt happy about him not being able to become a ninja.

"Naruto?" It came out weak, and shy even, but still it was loud enough for the blonde boy to hear. His sad face turned into a grin upon seeing her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan…" His greeting sounded sad, despite the hidden cheerfulness within it. She didn't speak, and it was the look she gave the blonde boy which was enough for him to let it all out. "…I…didn't pass…" Both youngsters stood silent, Sakura watching from the corner of her eyes as the ninjas and their parents left the grounds to go back home and celebrate. "I will have to repeat the year…ha…this is the third time I fail, too…you know?" Sakura didn't speak, but instead, settled herself next to him, by leaning against the tree, still holding the plastic bag with the hot bowl of ramen, which had loss its purpose as soon as the words, 'I Failed' flew out of Naruto's mouth. "I thought…" He was trying so hard not to cry, but Sakura didn't know how to calm him. She had learned that the best way to solve a problem of this sort was to let the emotions rain, to let it all out. But, then again…

"It's alright, Naruto…" her own voice surprised her, but she went on, nonetheless, getting a look of sad confusion from Naruto. "Despite what you went through…despite not…not passing and becoming a ni-ninja…you still didn't give up…did you?" Naruto was silent for a couple of minutes, but then, he smiled, and nodded his head.

"Nope…I didn't. I never gave up…because…my dream is to be…HOKAGE!!" Suddenly, the young boy cried, getting out of his swing and pumping a fist up in the air. Sakura suddenly smiled tenderly at Naruto's sudden enthusiasm. "Yeah! Yeah!! Sakura-chan! I won't give up!! Yeah, don't give up!"

"Yeah…you aren't like me at all…" Sakura muttered unconsciously, getting the two bowls that Teuchi had given her from inside the bag. Naruto, on the other hand, had taken notice of this comment, and was looking at her with worry.

"Uh…what do you mean by unlike you, Sakura-chan?" Sakura didn't respond right away, but instead, shoved the ramen bowl straight into Naruto's arms, as she put down her own on the ground.

"Eat, and maybe I'll tell you a story," she told him, smiling sadly as she got out the chopsticks from inside the plastic bag. She threw the chopsticks his way, and then, both began to get rid of their own food, with Naruto carefully dedicating time to slurp the delicious noodles, as he told Sakura stories about his class, stories she herself wish she was telling him, too. But, unlike Naruto, Sakura had given up.


	3. Chapter 3

_Fyras14: Hello, folks...chapter three is here...sorry for the delay...ran into some trouble to write this one down...still, I think this chapter didnt go at all too well...I wanted to get the emotions across by just using thoughts and words from the characters themselves, but in the end, I ended with this...okay, this may not be the longest chapter, yet...but, it is a good ten or so pages that I hope you all like! _

_Anyway, about the voting thing, well....I will be leaving it up unitl the next update...but, for those that want Sakura to be a ninja, well, you might actually get your wish, eventually...but, that will be way later...not too soon nor too late, but don't expect it in the next ten or so chapters...sorry to say..._

_Please read and review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon or possibly deleted._

_Naruto and Co. dont belong to me, if they did, well....at least four out of five characters will be perverts(KIDDING! That already happened in the original story!)_

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A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.

**-Arnold Glasow**

**-Chapter Two-**

**-Bitter Ramen Bowls- **

_Naruto….Naruto…NARUTO!! Idiot! Where are you!?Where are you, damn it!? _That was the same thing that went through Sakura's mind, as she easily evaded a few ANBU members and scurried into the woods.

That Naruto….he had done it now, and from the looks of it, he had done something bad…bad enough to make the whole squad of ANBUs and Jounin present go after him in a mad frenzy. And Sakura wondered why the hell she was chasing a boy, that even the ANBU couldn't find…okay, what the heck was wrong with this boy!? Didn't he know that stealing forbidden scrolls was against the law?...at least, that's what the pink haired thought as she ran as fast as she could through the darkened woods, scaring off the wild animals that strolled in the night.

Despite not being a ninja, Sakura was fairly fast for her own good, and she was damn lucky to have read a few things on tracking and so, was quick to find footprints that the otherwise strong and wise(Yeah, right!) ANBU and Jounin had missed.

She was so going to kill Naruto when she found him, Sakura decided, tracking a new set of footprints upon the sandy surface of the woods. _That boy…he is so…dead!!_ Oh, Naruto would be so damn dead! She would nag the boy until his ears fell off, hit him until he turned blue, and then, scream at him again before she dragged him by his nose, all the way back to Kon—wait…what's that sound? Sakura suddenly stopped her mad train of thought, as she heard the loud yells of a man circle the forest.

"STOP IT!!" The girl felt like jumping when she heard the voice of the man, and without wasting any time to be surprised, followed the sound of a second voice taking over. Naruto could be in trouble.

"It means that you…Naruto…" _Naruto!! _Hiding behind a bush, she finally saw them.

There were three; Naruto, a white haired man, and a black haired man with a giant scar across his face. She blinked a bit as she watched the scene unfold. Was Naruto in the trouble? What the heck was goin-- "are the nine-tailed demon fox…you…you killed…"

_Nine-tail demon fox? What…what is he saying…?_

"…Iruka's parents! And destroyed the village!!"

_Nar-naruto…was…that fabled…demon?...what…what? _

"You were sealed by the Hokage you so admire and…"

"STOP IT, MIZUKI!!"

"…you have been lied to by everyone!!"

…_Lied?_

"Didn't you find it odd on why everyone hates you!?"

…_No…Naruto…no…_

"Iruka is the same!! He also hates you, Naruto Uzumaki!! No one will ever love you, demon brat!! NO ONE!! HAHAHAHA!!!"

…_no…_

"NOW, DIE!!!"

_NO!!_

"NARUTO!! MOVE!!"

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He was so angry. So angry. Was this the reason everyone hated him!? He…he had a demon inside of him? Why…why…? How could this happen to him!? What had he done to deserve such hate and scorn from the villagers? He was innocent! He was just Naruto Uzumaki, the prankster of Konoha.

But, no matter how much Naruto wanted the pain to go away, he realized he couldn't just throw it to the side and pretend it wasn't there. Each of Mizuki's words had hit the nail on the spot, he had scarred his mentality and destroyed his dream. He was…a demon…he had no one to love him…and if he did, had they found out who he really was, they would have pushed him away as well…even…even Sakura-chan…the only true friend he had. The only one that would lend a shoulder if Naruto needed to cry…but, if she found out…she would…hate him…he was so angry…so…damn…angry!!

"No one will ever love you, demon brat!! NO ONE!! HAHAHAHAHA!!" He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he only could see red everywhere he looked. He was angry…he wanted to…ki…no! Not that!! He didn't want to…he didn't want to… "NOW, DIE!!" He blinked then, tears ceased to flow, mind ceased to work. Naruto could only stand there, the reality sinking in, as the large shuriken made his way towards him. Iruka's scream did nothing to erase that new reality…but then, he heard another scream…this one close, it pushed him to the ground. And then, he felt it…blood. Was that blood his…own? But….why was he seeing pink…?

"Na…Naruto…" Opening his eyes, Naruto saw the last person he expect to be there.

Sakura.

Sakura, his only friend in this village that truly cared for him, was above him, shielding him from the giant shuriken that now dug deep into her back, forcing blood out of her mouth. "Na…naruto…" she repeated, blood falling to his face as she spoke. "No…no matter what they say…about you…no matter what demon may be hidden within your being…you…you aren't that…that demon….fox…Naruto…you are what you are…Naruto Uzumaki..so…don't give up…being that because of so-some…jerk, eh?" The blonde haired boy couldn't help but let a trail of tears out, sniffing uncontrollably despite the brave smile Sakura offered him, despite showering him with her own tears of blood.

"…Sak-sakura-chan…" Naruto cried, trying to return his mentality back to normal. His only friend was hurt because of him, and not only that, she knew what was inside of him, and still, he had saved him from an agonizing death, that she herself was probably suffering from.

"Don't…cry Naruto…just…be…Naruto…" And with those words, Sakura gave a small painful sigh, and then, fell on top of Naruto, fainting from blood loss and pain.

Alarmed, Naruto went to aid his still-breathing friend, removing the giant shuriken from her back, gently, and throwing it to where Mizuki stood, on top of the tallest tree branch he could find.

The white haired man easily evaded the projectile, before getting another one from inside the scroll he held nearby. He watched as Iruka went to aid the pink haired brat that had gotten in the way of his killing blow. "Hmph…stupid brat…that won't change anything…" Raising his second shuriken towards the three of them, Iruka acted fast, and grabbing Sakura, jumped out of the way, leaving Naruto alone to evade the shuriken alone. The blonde boy didn't even look up as he evaded the projectile, causing Mizuki to raise an eyebrow at him, before dropping back to the ground, facing off against Naruto. "Well…well…what do you plan on doing now, demon brat?" Mizuki taunted, as he glared at Iruka, who hid nearby, trying his best to keep an unconscious Sakura safe and alive, and as far away from Mizuki as he could.

"NARUTO!! GO AND HIDE!!" Iruka cried, trying to sway the boy not to fight an experience chunnin, that even he had trouble to defeat. He paled considerably when Naruto didn't move from his position, and he retorted to cry out, "NARUTO! YOUR FRIEND NEEDS HELP!! DON'T START A FIGHT YOU CANNOT WIN!!"

"I would listen to Iruka if I were you, demon brat…although, I think I better be someone else instead like some demon! HAHAHA!!" Mizuki mocked, getting into a battle stance. Naruto, then, looked up, rage present upon his cerulean eyes.

"You…you…" he began, clenching his fists. "You hurt…Sakura-chan…and now," Naruto gave Mizuki a feral glare, before crying out. "I WILL HURT YOU!!" Mizuki only laughed.

"As expected from a demon! If you kill me now, its all over!! You will die, Naruto, and so will that stupid friend of yours!!" The white haired chunnin ran towards the blonde, a fist clutching a kunai, ready for the kill. Naruto had yet to move, and instead, began to make a few hand signs that Mizuki didn't catch right away. It was only after the crowd of Narutos appeared that the evil chunnin finally realized what had happened.

"The Shadow Clone Jutsu," Mizuki breathed out, getting a little pale. The group of Narutos cracked their knuckles only once, before swiftly going after the man that had hurt their only friend.

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It was the strange sensation of pain that woke Sakura up, making her blink a few times before finally realizing where she was. She was in a average size room, lying down on a white bed, and breathing in different medicines…okay…this place sure wasn't Sakura's apartment, and there was no blonde boy looking at her with concerned eyes, either.

Wait a minute…

"Naruto?" In a flash, Sakura was no longer laying on the white bed, but rather, sitting up, with Naruto embracing her hard enough for her to forget how to breath. "ACK! Naruto! Stop, it hurts!!" Realizing his mistake, Naruto let her go and offered her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry…I was…I was just so happy to see you wake up, Sakura-chan!" Naruto told her, scratching the back of his head. "The doctors said you lost…a lot of blood…and that…" Sakura quickly grabbed his arm.

"Wow…hold it…I lost…blood? Why?" Giving her a concerned look, Naruto looked down at the ground before muttering,

"You…you don't remember? What happened…yesterday?"

"What happened..yester—Oh! I remember now…I think…" The pink haired girl touched her forehead with her left hand, as she recounted the events in her head, before telling Naruto, whose head was still looking down. "I remember hearing that…that you stole something…" At that, Sakura gave the blonde a glare, to which he answered by mouthing 'Sorry!', but didn't say anything as she went on. "Then…some ninja…fighting…and then…about the…" Suddenly, Sakura stopped talking, the memories of last night flooding in her mind, replaying the words and things she had heard and seen. She knew about the demon within Naruto, and the blonde knew that she knew, too. The boy was about to speak, to tell her not to worry about it, when suddenly a new person stepped into the room.

He was an old man, with short gray hair, wearing long white robes and wearing a strange hat upon his head, covering what was left of his gray hair from view. Sakura suddenly gasped in surprise as the old man leaned towards the pink haired girl's bed, and smiled.

"Hokage-sama!!"


	4. Chapter 4

Fyras14: Hello people...sorry for not updating on time...school's finally getting to me...and well, first semester exams are just a week away...and it doesnt help that every single of my classes have an exam up their sleeve(okay, now that sounded weird)..anyway, here is chapter three...and well, this chapter gives a little background information on Sakura's past and the reason why she works...not expliciteon why she has to work, though...also, Naruto's new teammate(the one that is taking over Sakura's place) is not an OC people, you will see why when you read this chapter, also, you might expect an unexpected character to make an appearance, too, but I'm not telling...it has something to do about food, though...

Anyway, next chapter the story will be told entirely from Naruto's POV, but I will not go into detail with the whole Wave Arc, since I don't want to drag the story any longer...although the Chunnin Exams will get considerably long chapters...expect next the next update to be longer than this one, and well...about the voting thing, it appears that Sakura being a ninja will be it...I will still have the voting things up just in case the tide turns, but then again, who knows...until the next update!

Please read and review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.

Naruto doesnt belong to me, and if it did...well, I might be rich by now...if just a little.

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We don't accomplish anything in this world alone ... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something._

**-Sandra Day O'Connor**

**-Chapter Three-**

**-Five, Six, Seven…Bowls!-**

To say Sakura was nervous was an understatement. To have the most powerful man in the village look at you in the eye and smile at the same time, was something to have you shaking in fear, thinking how you were to die at his hands. Thank goodness the Hokage was not that cruel…or was he?

"Well…you must be Sakura, eh?" the Hokage asked, still smiling. The pink haired blushed, and bowed while she was still sitting on the bed.

"Y-yes…" she responded nervously, gulping a bit, as she send a glance at Naruto, silently asking, 'What's the Hokage doing here?'. He, in turn, gave her a look of his own that said, 'No idea'. Apparently the Hokage had caught on to their silent talking, and finally decided to speak up,

"Do not worry, Sakura, I'm not exactly planning to give you any trouble," he chuckled when he saw the red on her cheeks. "In fact, I came here to talk to you, concerning…" the Hokage eyed Naruto as he said this, watching as the boy suddenly lowered his head and clenched his fist. "…Naruto and the Kyuubi."

"…Oh?" Nodding at her confusion, the Hokage answered,

"Yes….you see, Sakura…what Mizuki, the man that told Naruto about the Kyuubi, broke a law that was punishable by death." At that, Sakura suddenly gulped, but was quick to figure out where the conversation was heading to. _So, he wants to know if I will keep my mouth shut, then…_she thought, as the Hokage went on. "Mizuki's execution was dealt just four hours ago," he explained, watching as the two teenagers turned their head to the side, avoiding his gaze. Death was sometimes a touchy subject when around children. At times, they didn't know what to think about it, and despite knowing death, as he learned from Sakura's background; mother died of flu two years ago, plus her father just a month after in a mission, then, left alone in the world, with only the names of the deceased to remind the girl that her parents ever existed. This girl was familiar of death, the Hokage noted, as she gave a deadpanned expression and nodded for him to go on, her eyes all business-like, trying to ignore the mention of that evil chunnin's recent death, Naruto falling not too far behind. "As I have already told you, Mizuki's death was, apart from the charges of attacking two ninja and almost killing a civilian," Naruto appeared tense at the mention of the last part, but quickly recovered. "because he merely broke the law…a sacred law that talks about the Kyuubi and Naruto. I came here to know your answer…"

"Answer? For what, old man?" Naruto asked, sounding confused. What answer? He thought that Sakura couldn't keep his secret, or what? She wasn't like Mizuki, either.

"Sakura Haruno," spoke the Hokage once more, completely ignoring the blonde's question as he looked at Sakura straight in the eyes. The girl didn't even flinch as the old man's eyes met hers. "do you swear, with your life, that you shall not speak about the Kyuubi and Naruto?" Suddenly, Sakura looked down, at her hands, holding the mattress hard. At first, both Naruto and the Hokage exchanged concerned looks, but then, Sakura finally gave her answer.

"Naruto…Naruto is my friend…and friends keep secrets, don't they?" At that, she looked back the Hokage, smiling brightly, as she gave a small nod, to answer his question. At her answer, the old man gave her a smile of his own, before nodding back at Naruto.

"Well, then, Naruto…it appears you have a good friend after all…not many would have done what she did," Naruto grinned.

"Of course not, old man! Sakura-chan's the best, that's for sure!!" He gave the girl thumps up, which she blushed at.

"Thanks…"

"Now, Sakura," came the Hokage's voice, causing the two of them to turn their attention back to the old man standing before them. "remember what you used swore, alright? If not, you might suffer a deadly penalty," he added, giving them both a deadpanned expression, which they both gulped at. He then, smiled once more, and nodded back at Naruto before he made his way out. "I hear that you are recovering quite nicely, lass…you might be out of here before you know it." And with that, he was gone, not giving a chance for either Naruto and Sakura to respond.

They stood in silence for a while, before the blonde finally broke it. "Hey, Sakura-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you…"

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The next day saw Sakura and Naruto cheerfully talking over a pair of ramen bowls, courtesy of Ayame, who had come to visit the pink haired girl just a couple of minutes ago, leaving behind some ramen for both her and Naruto, before then, leaving off to go back to work herself.

"Your team does sound strange…" Sakura said, slurping a couple of noodles as Naruto nodded, slurping rather quickly, a larger group of noodles than his companion.

"Yeah, there's the teme," the girl sighed at the blonde's choice of words. "his fangirl, who is just as bad, especially talking about the 'teme this' and 'teme that'," he grumbled, slurping more noodles into his mouth.

"Well, and what about your sensei?"

"He's weird." Sakura gave the boy a look, to which Naruto answered with a shrug. "He's always reading this little orange book, has a face mask, and is kinda like a scarecrow or something like that…"

"Ah…and about your teammates? Are they more than a teme and a fangirl?" she asked him, putting the half finished ramen bowl aside, as she fished towards a cup of water that lay peacefully nearby a table at the side of her table.

"Well…Sasuke…well…he is…what is it? A genie? A junior? What was that stupid word again?" Sakura giggled, trying too hard not to spill the water she was currently drinking. "Ah! A gen-genius! That's what half of the class mentioned! Yeah, a genius…a show-off too…"

"Ah!" Sakura replied, putting the cup back on top of the table. "So, he's one of those, 'I'm better than you and you better get out of my way' type?" she asked, earning a nod from Naruto, as he finished his bowl, and Sakura moved to grab and finish hers.

"Hey! You are about right, Sakura-chan! He also has a bunch of fangirls trailing after him…calling him perfect along with the teachers and stuff…and he thinks he's so cool, too!" He watched as Sakura took a handful of noodles to her mouth, and then, asked, "but, how you know how he acted like?"

"I used to work at some dango shop before I came to work on Ichiraku, and well, I spotted a few too many of those people there…mostly important businessmen or ninja way on top of their heads…"

"Ah, that explains it...I think…"

"You learn from reading, too, you know? That's what I do with my free time," she gave a small glance to the edge of her bed, where a couple of books rested, a favor from the friendly nurses in the hospital.

"Yeah, that would explain why you're so smart!"

"Thanks, Naruto…" Sakura said, smiling, before she asked, "now, about that fangirl…is she really as bad as you say?" The blonde glared at the ground, and crossed both arms over his chest.

"She doesn't stop talking about that teme! She's belittling me every chance she gets, too! And, well…she's annoying, too!"

"Ouch…sounds like a bad choice for a teammate if you ask me…"

"Sure, it does…her name's Kin…and well, she's annoying."

"You just said that," Sakura pointed out, putting her empty bowl to the side of the table. "Well, she does sound annoying," she said after a while, earning a grin and a vigorous nodding from Naruto. "but, if it helps any, Naruto, just ignore her. Be you, and just ignore her, if she can't shut up, well, don't force her…maybe throw her to the river, or something, but, just be you." Naruto laughed at the last part that she said, before nodding again.

"Thanks, Sakura-chan…at least I hope my first real mission is a real deal!"

"Yeah…" Sakura smiled suddenly, and then, grinned. "Well, as long as you don't get to chase cats, it will all work well."

* * *

Four days after, Sakura was back on her feet, heading straight towards Ichiraku Ramen with Naruto by her side, trying to stifle her giggles at the small scratches on the blonde's cheeks. "Not funny, Sakura-chan…" he mumbled.

"But…but…hahaha! I never expected…hahaha!! For you to really chase cats, Naruto!" Sakura laughed, watching as Naruto grumbled under his breath, mentioning something about killing a certain scarecrow guy after he shred that orange book of his to pieces.

It didn't take long for Naruto and Sakura to reach the ramen bar, and they were both calmly greeted by the old man, Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, who offered them seats in the counter. The blonde was quick enough to start ordering, before Teuchi spoke. "So, how are you doing lass? Feeling alright?"

"Yes…thank you, Teuchi-san…the doctor just said to take it easy for a while…but, my back is alright, nothing to worry about."

"Well, that's good to hear, Sakura-san…you almost gave me a heart attack," Ayame told her, handing her a cup of tea and a bowl of warm ramen.

"Sorry…"

"Eh, don't mention it…he also did give me a heart attack," she pointed at Naruto, who still slurped his noodles, oblivious to the conversation at hand. "But, it's good to know that you're both alright…and well," she turned to Naruto, who had began eating his second bowl. "I hear that you'll be leaving Konoha soon, is that true, Naruto?" the young woman asked, catching both Naruto and Sakura's attention.

"You are leaving?" the pink haired girl asked the blonde, who nodded happily.

"Yep! I managed to convince the old man," the three Ichiraku workers sighed at the disrespectful mention of their Hokage, but let the boy continue. "he gave us a C-class mission! We have to escort some old man, some annoying guy, whose always drunk."

"Sounds hard," Sakura told him, taking a sip from her tea.

"Yeah, but it will be worth it! Maybe something exciting will happen there!"

"Better than chasing cats, I bet," Sakura muttered, grinning as Naruto sent her a childish glare. _Careful…Naruto…_


	5. Chapter 5

Fyras: Hello folks! Sorry for the really lame update rate...really sorry...well, you see...i was walking down the path of life and suddenly realized i had hit writer's block, and well...I had planned to do a full chapter, but since my notes(where I had written the whole chapter on) got lost, I opt to give you this interlude chapter instead...this one concerns a bit about Sakura's past with another character from her past...obviously...I might have the next chapter down and up by either next week or after New Year's, but I can guarantee anything, since I really want to update my other stories that have the need to be updated...so, please enjoy this rather small interlude, which shall get a sibling in the near future!

Please read and review, or criticize, whichever comes first. Flames are not accepted, frowned upon, and possibly deleted.

Naruto doesnt belong to me, unfortunately, I'm still stuck with that same nightmare.

* * *

"_Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down."_

**-Unknown**

**-Interlude-**

**-A Side Dish of Dango, Please!- **

"So, Pinky, this is where you ran off, huh? Aw! I miss you back at that Dango Shop, you know? You were the only one to get the order right the first time."

"Thanks a lot, Anko-san…but, are you really here to see me, or for the ramen?"

"You got dango here?"

"Yeah, why…?"

"I want the usual, as you know, and a bowl of ramen, leave out the spice."

"I should have known better…I will be right back with that order, then…"

"Don't worry Pinky, I won't be leaving any time soon!"

Sakura only managed to roll her eyes at the older woman, sitting lazily on the counter, before she disappeared to the back of the shop to prepare her order.

Mitarashi Anko, kunoichi of the Leaf, number one client of Konoha's local Dango Shop, and according to them, their best customer, was one of the oddest people Sakura had met in her lifetime.

The young girl had had the privilege to meet Anko too many times in her first job, back at that famous Dango Shop, the kunoichi so frequented, and this woman had sure made an impression on young Sakura. Cheerful despite her career choice and a dango eating-machine had quickly won over the young girl, and soon, Sakura found herself a friend among the large village full of people. Every time Anko came to the Dango Shop, she always asked for Sakura to take her order, which she did without a flaw, earning her the respect of Anko concerning dango and other food. However, that job didn't last long, due to…some trouble in the shop with a pervert, and so, Sakura had to move to Ichiraku Ramen Bar, where she, ironically, was once more Anko's waitress.

"So, how has your life been?" Anko asked her, once Sakura came back with her dango and ramen bowl. "I heard you were in the hospital," Sakura placed her food on the counter, to which the young woman didn't waste any time to dig in.

"I had a run-in with a chunnin that wanted to kill me friend…and well, I got the worst end of the deal," the pink haired girl replied after a while, only to be ignored by Anko, who was peacefully eating her dango, forgetting about the pink haired next to her. The girl rolled her eyes, and sighed. _Sometimes, I wonder why I bother…_

"Yum! This thing's great, like always!!" Anko complimented, finishing off the dango, before looking back at Sakura. "Oh, were you saying something, kid?"

"Not anymore, it seems…"

"Hey! You should know me by now, brat! Dango's involve, I ignore pretty much anyone…even you."

"At least some things haven't changed," Sakura said with a smile, before another client got her attention. Once the girl had taken the man's order and returned with a fresh bowl of ramen for the customer, Anko had already finished her bowl and had requested for some green tea and more dango from the girl.

"I thought an old man was helping you out," Anko commented after her green tea and dango were placed in front of her.

"Teuchi-san is out making a delivery, and Ayame has the day off, so I'm pretty much running the place on my own, but it isn't so bad," Sakura shot a look in the empty restaurant to emphasize her point. The older woman only nodded with a grin, as she drank in her hot green tea.

"Wouldn't look so bad for handling your own business in the near future, eh, brat?"

"I'm not too sure, Anko-san…right now, I want to make sure ends meet…"

"I guess…anyway, we were talking about a hospital and you, weren't we?" Anko asked, taking a bite off the dango, before putting her full attention on the young girl.

"Well, a chunnin…you probably heard, tricked a genin into stealing a forbidden scroll from the Hokage Tower…"

"Oh, that…so Mizuki's the one to blame for sending you to the emergency room…hmm…he's dead now, though," she finished, taking another bite from the dango.

"Yes…Hokage-sama told me so…"

"…So, you know too, eh? That ultra secret stuff?" A nod was her only answer. "You have a pretty burden to carry now…people might hate you because you associate with that boy," Sakura only shrugged.

"I do wonder how people can be so dense sometimes…"

"People like to blame others, that's the harsh reality of life, kiddo," Anko told her, finishing off her stick of dango, before declaring with another smile, "Another dango stick, please!"

"…another one? Won't you get sick of eating too much of that?" Anko only blinked back at Sakura in confusion.

"Sick me? Why?"

"Never mind…"


End file.
